Monarty: Web 3.0 Art Marketplace

In the evolving landscape of art, technology, and finance, Choreograffiti Limited, under the leadership of the accomplished choreographer, fashion show, and stage director, Waldek Szymkowiak, aimed to revolutionize the way art galleries operate and interact with the digital world. Waldek, who boasts over a decade of experience in the art of movement and show direction, embarked on an ambitious project, bringing his unique vision to life through Monarty, an innovative marketplace for art galleries.

A Revolutionary Platform by Choreograffiti Limited

In the world where art, technology, and finance intertwine, there stood Choreograffiti Limited, guided by the innovative direction of the accomplished choreographer, fashion show, and stage director, Waldek Szymkowiak. With a robust background in creating immersive experiences and captivating moods for stage, fashion, and art, Waldek sought to bring about a revolution in the way art galleries operate in the digital realm. The result of this ambitious endeavor is Monarty, a unique marketplace that converges the physical art world with the ever-evolving sphere of NFTs and blockchain technology.

Monarty: Merging Physical and Digital Art Worlds

Monarty distinguishes itself from other NFT marketplaces through its unique focus on physically existing artworks from globally recognized art galleries. By bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds, it allows art enthusiasts to mint and sell NFTs of their physical artworks, thereby providing an additional revenue channel for art galleries and creating a novel way of art ownership for consumers. This fusion of tangible art authenticity and the digital landscape of NFTs marks a significant leap in the art world’s evolution.

Monarty’s Innovative Approach to Viewing Art

Beyond creating a unique marketplace, the vision for Monarty also revolves around innovating the way we perceive and interact with art. It pushes the boundaries of technology by aspiring to scan artworks with 3D scanners and present them in virtual 3D environments using advanced AR and VR technologies. This innovative approach aims to immerse users in a rich, interactive art experience, breaking down the conventional barriers of art engagement.

Monarty in the Decentralized Finance Landscape

Furthermore, Monarty’s vision extends into the realm of decentralized finance. By leveraging the concept of fractional NFTs for investment sales of artworks, Monarty is positioning itself as a game-changer in the decentralized finance and investment world. It’s not just about art appreciation; it’s about enabling art as an accessible investment avenue, thereby driving a financial revolution in the art world.

Realizing the Vision

Turning such a groundbreaking vision into reality wasn’t without its challenges. It required an adept navigation of a rapidly changing environment, mastery over a range of technological components, and a team of experts collaborating seamlessly. This case study aims to unravel the journey of how GMI Software, partnering with Choreograffiti Limited, transformed the Monarty vision into an operational reality.

Confronting the Challenges

In any pioneering venture, facing challenges is inevitable, and the journey of Monarty was no exception. Given its innovative concept of integrating physical art with the digital NFT market and its place in the volatile environment of blockchain technology, the project faced a unique set of hurdles.

Navigating a Fast-Evolving Landscape

One of the significant challenges was keeping pace with the fast-changing environment of the NFT marketplace. Monarty chose the Moralis ecosystem for basic interaction with NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain, which, during the course of development, transitioned to its 2.0 version. This update introduced substantial changes that directly affected how NFT interactions were managed on the platform. Consequently, the Monarty team had to stay agile, adapting to these changes week after week, and integrating them into the platform.

Deciphering the Blockchain Standards

Another key challenge was figuring out the use of tokens for NFT rentals. With the volatility in the blockchain market, it was crucial to focus on the main standards—ERC721 and ERC1155—at a particular stage. Even while conceptualizing innovative solutions such as NFT rental, the priority was to ensure stability by aligning with already established blockchain standards.

Efficiently Communicating Blockchain Events

Ensuring efficient communication of events happening on the Ethereum blockchain network was a crucial aspect. To address this, the Monarty team developed a proof-of-concept using tools such as thegraph.com and the Moralis Streams API. This helped in effectively relaying events occurring on the blockchain to the users.

Quality Challenges in 3D Space Implementation

One of Monarty’s groundbreaking ideas was to present NFTs in a 3D space. However, during the proof-of-concept phase using BabylonJS, the team found that the spaces imported from Unity and Unreal Engine did not retain the appropriate quality. This necessitated a decision to postpone the implementation of this feature to a later stage in product development.

Through each of these challenges, the Monarty team, in collaboration with GMI Software, demonstrated resilience, agility, and a willingness to innovate. Their shared commitment to overcoming hurdles paved the way towards realizing the vision of Monarty.

GMI Software – Partnering for Success

Navigating the complex landscape of building a groundbreaking platform like Monarty required the right expertise, collaborative effort, and a shared commitment towards the end goal. This is where GMI Software came into the picture, partnering with Choreograffiti Limited and becoming instrumental in the successful realization of the Monarty vision.

Collaborative Problem-Solving

When confronted with the challenges of the fast-paced NFT marketplace and the need for swift adaptation to the evolving Moralis ecosystem, GMI Software, together with the Monarty team, took these challenges in stride. Their approach wasn’t just reactive but proactive, anticipating changes, planning contingencies, and always staying a step ahead. This strategic foresight and swift adaptability were key in implementing the platform in such a volatile environment.

Roles and Teamwork

Successful projects hinge on clear roles and seamless collaboration. The Monarty project had several key roles, each with unique responsibilities. This ranged from visitors and guests exploring the platform, to gallery managers, NFT buyers, and sellers interacting within the ecosystem, and administrators overseeing operations. GMI Software ensured that each role was well-integrated into the solution, resulting in an intuitive and user-friendly platform for all users.

The Team Behind the Success

Behind this success was a diverse team of experts, each playing a pivotal role in the project’s realization. The vCTO overseeing technical aspects, the UI/UX designer enhancing the user experience, the full stack and frontend developers working on the robust and efficient software, and the marketing specialist strategically promoting the platform. This multi-faceted team, with their concerted efforts, contributed immensely to bringing Monarty to life.

Standardizing Blockchain Practices

In deciphering the volatility of blockchain standards, GMI Software played a vital role in focusing on the established standards, ERC721 and ERC1155, during a specific phase of the project. By ensuring stability in alignment with these standards, they set the foundation for introducing innovative solutions around NFT rentals and licenses in the future.

Throughout the Monarty project, GMI Software not only showcased their technical expertise but also their ability to collaborate, adapt, and innovate. Their partnership with Choreograffiti Limited exemplifies how shared vision, resilience, and teamwork can translate ambitious ideas into a successful reality.

Harnessing Technology and Innovation

Creating Monarty, an ambitious and innovative platform, required the integration of several cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions. The careful selection of technologies contributed to the seamless functionality of the platform and its unique features.

Building with a Powerful Tech Stack

Monarty was built on a robust tech stack. TypeScript offered static typing, enhancing the development process for large-scale applications. Node.js and Nest.js formed the backbone of server-side operations, while React handled the user-facing components, ensuring an intuitive and efficient user interface.

Blockchain and Beyond

For the essential interactions with NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain, Monarty utilized the Moralis ecosystem. Smart contract development was handled using Solidity, while Alchemy and Truffle provided the necessary developer tools for Ethereum. Metamask integration allowed users to easily manage their Ethereum wallets and interact with the platform. IPFS, the InterPlanetary File System, was used for decentralized storage and sharing of data.

Advancements in Communication

To ensure efficient communication of blockchain events in the Ethereum network, Monarty employed thegraph.com and Moralis Streams API. This served as a solution for the challenge of effectively relaying blockchain events to users, demonstrating innovation in addressing complex challenges.

Towards a 3D Future

One of the ambitious goals of Monarty was to present NFTs in a 3D space. Although the initial proof-of-concept using BabylonJS faced challenges with maintaining quality when importing spaces from Unity and Unreal Engine, it symbolizes Monarty’s innovative spirit and commitment to pushing boundaries in enhancing the user experience.

In the journey of creating Monarty, technology and innovation went hand in hand. From the use of a comprehensive tech stack to innovative solutions for complex challenges, the role of technology was central. It showcased the power of using the right tools, the impact of innovative thinking, and the potential of what the future holds for Monarty.

Monarty’s Journey: From Concept to Reality

Discovery Stage: Unleashing Design Thinking

The development process of Monarty kicked off with a series of comprehensive workshop sessions that focused on market and user discovery. These exploratory sessions aimed to understand the target audience in depth and comprehend the specific problems they face in the current art marketplace. User stories like “As a user, I want to search through the Marketplace” gave the team insights into users’ needs and expectations. This understanding guided the project, ensuring the platform was tailored to meet the requirements of its users. Additionally, in-depth market research provided insights into the competitive landscape, enabling the Monarty team to differentiate the platform and define its unique selling proposition.

Embracing the Art of Sketching

After having a robust understanding of the market and users, the team embarked on brainstorming and sketching sessions. These creative sessions led to the generation of potential solutions and mapping out the customer journey, a crucial step towards building a user-centered platform. User stories like “As a user, I want to see item details” guided the team in sketching and designing the main views of the marketplace. This user story not only highlighted the need for an intuitive and informative product display but also gave insights into the kind of information users sought when viewing a product, guiding the content and design for item detail views.

Technical Planning

The technical planning stage followed, where the team defined the technology stack and solution architecture, aligning it with the platform’s functionality and user needs. For instance, to address user stories such as “As a user, I want to buy (buy now) an item,” the team set up Web3 and Ethereum NFT Marketplace Boilerplate, facilitating seamless and secure transactions on the platform. This stage ensured the technology underpinning Monarty was robust, scalable, and efficient, capable of handling the platform’s unique needs and challenges.

Risk Assessment and Success Metrics

Risk management was an essential part of the planning process. The team systematically identified potential risks that could affect the project and defined appropriate mitigation strategies. User stories such as “As a user, I want to convert my account type to a gallery” brought light to potential risks related to user roles and account management. The insights from these user stories helped shape the risk mitigation strategies, ensuring a smooth and secure user experience. In tandem with risk assessment, success metrics were established. These metrics provided a clear benchmark to measure the product’s performance post-launch and guided the team in future iterations.

Building the Product Backlog

Following risk assessment and success metrics definition, the team proceeded to create the product backlog. This comprehensive list encompassed all the features and tasks needed to build Monarty. User stories were pivotal in this phase, providing detailed guidelines for each feature. For example, “As a guest, I want to see proper meta data for all pages,” guided the team on critical SEO considerations, ensuring the platform was well-optimized for search engines. Along with the product backlog, a roadmap with key milestones was created, and project roles were clearly defined, ensuring a structured and phased approach to the project.

Design Stage: Crafting the Visual Identity

During the design stage, the team focused on crafting Monarty’s unique visual identity. Guided by user stories like “As a user, I want to switch to the VR view/web view/WebGL,” the team developed a flexible and engaging visual identity that supports multiple views. This allowed users to interact with the platform in a way that best suited their preferences, enhancing the user experience. The design stage was not just about aesthetics, but also about usability, ensuring the platform was as functional as it was visually appealing.

Bootstrapping the Project

The bootstrapping phase involved setting up the platform’s infrastructure, including Docker setup and Unity VR scene setup. These technical aspects were guided by user stories like “As a user, I want to visit the Landing page/Homepage.” This user story highlighted the importance of creating a seamless and immersive user experience right from the first interaction. Every component of the infrastructure was optimized to ensure smooth operation and performance of the platform.

Product Development: Bringing User Stories to Life

Finally, in the product development phase, the team brought the user stories to life, developing each feature with a clear user story guiding its implementation. For instance, user stories like “As an admin, I want to moderate registered galleries” helped the team develop comprehensive admin functionalities. This not only made the moderation of galleries efficient but also ensured the platform maintained high standards of quality.

Delivering Results and Planning Ahead

The process of building Monarty was marked by continuous learning, problem-solving, and innovation. The fruition of this dedicated effort is the successful platform that Monarty is today. However, the journey doesn’t stop here. Monarty, along with GMI Software, looks ahead, envisioning a future filled with growth, evolution, and breakthroughs.

Monarty: A Success Story

Today, Monarty is a successful and unique NFT marketplace for art galleries, offering a blend of traditional and digital art worlds to art enthusiasts and investors globally. Its seamless integration with the Ethereum blockchain and the successful navigation of the fast-paced NFT marketplace have positioned Monarty as a pioneer in the art and finance landscapes.

Since its launch, www.monarty.com has garnered positive feedback from its users. The platform’s emphasis on the physicality of art and its efforts to ensure the authenticity of the artwork have been particularly appreciated. This user feedback has played an essential role in shaping the platform’s evolution, informing improvements, and guiding future developments.

Looking to the Future

While the current state of Monarty is a testament to the successful realization of a novel concept, the team has an eye on the future. Plans are in place to implement features that were postponed due to initial challenges, such as the presentation of NFTs in a 3D space. Future updates will focus on continuing to innovate the user experience, enhancing the platform’s capabilities, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the intersection of art, technology, and finance.

As Monarty plans for the future, the collaboration with GMI Software remains integral. Leveraging GMI Software’s technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to innovation, Monarty looks forward to overcoming future challenges and achieving new milestones.

The story of Monarty is one of vision, resilience, and innovation. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when technology, creativity, and a shared vision come together. As the platform continues to grow and evolve, the journey continues, promising exciting developments on the horizon.

Conclusion: Leveraging GMI Software’s Expertise

The Monarty project illustrates the transformative power of vision, collaboration, and technological expertise. Through its journey, the platform has successfully navigated the evolving landscape of NFT marketplaces, blending traditional art galleries with the digital art world.

GMI Software’s instrumental role in Monarty’s creation and development underscores their technical proficiency, adaptability, and innovative approach. Their capacity to transform challenges into opportunities and to integrate different user roles into the solution reflects their commitment to user-centered and technologically advanced solutions.

As Monarty looks towards the future, the partnership with GMI Software remains pivotal, promising exciting advancements on the horizon. This story of Monarty serves as a testament to what can be achieved with a clear vision, the courage to innovate, and the right partnership. With GMI Software, ambitious businesses can turn their innovative ideas into successful realities.